Air cleaner



J. P; QUAM June 6 1933.

AIR CLEANER Filed, Feb. 28, 1950 Patented June a, 193a UNITED" STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE Jenner. QUAI, or omcae fnlnmors V I Application filed February 28, 1930. Serial No. 483,000.

The invention relates to air cleaning devices of the type used for automobiles or traction engines.

In practice it has been found that aircleaning devices of the centrifugal type, in

V which helical blades at one end of the casing are rovided to project the dirt and partlcles of ust in the air outwardly by centrifugal force, are not highly efiicient in cleaning the air, because the whirling motion imparted to i the air does not suificiently subject the particles to centrifu al force to completely clean the air supplie to the engine.

One ob ect of the invention is toprovide 5 an air cleanin device in which the air entering one end 0 the casing is iven a whirling motion by helical blades, an is additionally whirled or accelerated by a confluent stream of air entering the casing tangentially through its peripher ,tosubject the dirt. and

dust particles to en cient centrifugal force to attain more eflicient cleaning.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air cleaning device of the centrifugal type with supplemental means, such as a filter mass of suitable materiahsuch' as metallic wire, for eliminating the finer particles of dust which are not separated by centrifugal force.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth, and more particularly defined by claims at the concluslon hereof.

and comprlslng a cylindrical body or wall a,

a head 6 at one end of the body and a head a at the other endof the body. The outer portion of head c'has formed therein helical blades c" which extend into'the casing and are shaped to impart 'a whirling motion to the air entering the casin g through the inlets (2 between" the blades. The central portion 0 of the head 0 is imperfor'ate or closed so the inthat air will pass through the head 0 only near and around the wall a. The head I) is provided with a tubular extension 6' which forms an axial clean-air outlet and is adaptedfor connection to a pipe or conduit leading to the air-intake of the carburetor, so that air will be drawn through the casing of the air-cleaner by suction produced in the engine, as well understood in the art, and so the casing will be supported in a fixed position. The extension 6 is formed on a ring b which is secured to the head 6. The head c is provided with a flange c and is held on the other end of the body a. This exemplifies a casing in which'an axial clean-air outlet is located at one end and the helical blades for imparting a whirling motion to the entering air are disposed at the other or opposite end of the casing. An air-inlet opening a is formed in the cylindrical wall a and this wall is extended tangentially from the periphery of the casing, as at a, to form with the wall portion at the otherside of inlet a a convergent passage for directing a stream of air tangentially into and around the inner periphery of the casing. Periph- .eral inleta' extends substantially from end to end of the casing, and walls a? are provided at the top and bottom of the opening a between the wall a and theextension a to form an air inlet through which a stream of air will be drawn tangentially into the easing adjacent its inner periphery and given a whirling motion confluently with and to flow in the same direction as the air which has entered through head a. Theconfluence of the tangential stream entering through the periphery and the whirling air entering from blades 0 through the head 0 produces greater 9 centrifugal force and more eflicient separation of the dust, than thatwhich results from either stream alone. This construction exemplifies a. casingprovided with blades at one end for imparting a whirling motion to the air entering the end of the casing and with a peripheral longitudinally extending inlet for conjointly imparting a whirling motion to the air around the inner periphery of the casing to efl'ectively separate the par 1 ticles of dust and dirt from the air by centrifugal force.

A longitudinal series of round holes (1 is formed in the wall a of the casing. A strip of metal 01 has one of its margins secured to the inner periphery of the casing and its other laps the holes and is bent inwardly slightly to deflect the dust particles outwardly through the holes and cause the dust to be discharged from the casing.

A cylindrical wall or shell 6, concentric with the wall a, is secured in a vertical flange 7) of ring 1), extends longitudinally from the head 6, and terminates some distance from the head 0 to leave a longitudinal space or chamber below the imperforate port-lone of the head 0 from which cleaned air can pass into the shell. The upper end of this shell 0 is open so the air, after it has been sub ected to centrifugal force to discharge the dust and dirt from the casing, will pass longitudinally through the shell to the clean air outlet 7) in head 6.

A fibrous filter mass f of material which will not density or pack, such as fine crinkled metal wire, is confined in the shell e between wire screens '0, e of wide mesh. the margins of which are secured by welding or solder to shell (2. Screen e is longitudinally spaced from the head 7). This mass f is preferably dipped in a suitable oil to cause tine particles of dust to adhere to the wire in the mass. This exemplifies a filter mass bctween'the space at one end of the casing and the clean air outlet through which the air which has been subjected to centrifugal force and from which the heavier particles of dust have been removed, must pass in its flow to the clean air outlet 72, so that the air. after it has been centrifugally cleaned, will be further cleaned to remove any residual particles which have notbeen or are too fine to be removed by centrifugal force. The shell 0 forms a holder for the filter-mass and leaves an annularchamber at the inner periphery of the casing for the air stream that enters the casing through the inlet opening a.

The air cleaning device herein disclosed may be manufactured at a comparatively low cost by virtue of the fact that it embodies but a small number of parts. Inasmuch as a tangential air stream is utilized to accelerate the swirling of the main body of 1111, the device operates in an extremely efiicient manner.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters P tent, is:

1. An air cleaner of the centrifugal type comprising a cylindrical stationary casing provided at one end with means for admitting and imparting a whirling motion to the entering air around the inner periphery of the casing to separate the dust by centrifu a1 force, an inlet in the periphery of the casing for admittin and directing a stream of air tangentially into the casing confluently with the whirling air from said end, and an outlet I for clean air from the central portion of the casing 2. n air cleaner of the centrifugal type comprising a cylindrical stationary casing provided at one end with a mar inal annular series of stationary helical bla es and openings for admitting and imparting a whirling motion to the entering air around the inner periphery of the casing, an inlet in the periphery of the casing for admitting and directing a stream of air tangentially confluently with the whirling air from said end, a peripheral dust discharge opening, and an axial clean air outlet in the other end of the casing.

3. An air cleaner of the centrifugal type comprising a cylindrical stationary casing provided at one end with means for admitting aiid imparting a whirling motion to the entering air around the inner peripher of the casing, an inlet in the eriphery o the casing for admitting and directing a stream of air tangentially into the casing confluently with the whirling air from said end, an axial clean air outlet in the other end of the casing, and annular means in the casing for preventing air adjacent to the inner periphery of the casing from assing directly to said outlet.

4. In an air cleaner, the combination of a stationary cylindrical casing rovided with heads at its ends, an axial c can air outlet connected to one of said heads, a series of helical blades with openings therebetween, in the other head, for imparting a whirling motion to the entering air around the inner periphery of the casing a tangential air inlet connected to the periphery of the casin to direct air around the inner periphery o the casing confluentl with the air from the end,

the central portion of the head being provided with the blades being closed, and a peripheral dust discharge orifice open to the atmos here.

5. n air cleaner of the centrifugal type comprising a cylindrical casin provided with means at one end for admitting air and imparting a whirling motion thereto around the inner peripher of the casin to separate 4 6. In "an air cleaner, the combination of a cylindrical casing provided with heads at its .ing its centra ,outerportion of the other head with openings therebetween for imparting a whirling motion to the entering air around the inner periphery of the casing, a tangential air inlet connected to the periphery of the casing to direct air around the inner periphery of the casing ,confluently with the air entering through thehead, the central portion of the head provided with the blades being closed, a perlpheral dust discharge orifice o n to the atmosphere, and a filter mass 'con ned in the casing and through which air passes to the clean air outlet. v p a a 7. In an air cleaner, the combination of a cylindrical casing rovided with heads atits ends, an axial 0 can air outlet in one of said heads, a series of inlets in, and helical blades around the outer portion of the other head for admitting air and imparting a whirli motion to the entering air, a longitudina y extending air inlet connected to the periphery of the casing for directing a stream of air around theinner periphery of the casing confluently with the air entering said end of the casing having said air inlets, the central rtion of the end provided with the blades ing closed, and an annular wall in the casing extending from the head havin the air outlet and terminatin longitudina ly inwardly of, the inlet-hen 8. An air cleaner comprising a cylindrical casing having heads at its endsi and provided with an axial'clean air out et in one head, the other head havin air inlets and a series of helical blades or imparting a whirling motion to the entering air around the .inner periphery of the casing, and havportion closed, a dust discharge-orifice, an annular wall in the casing extending from the head with the air outlet and terminating longitudinally inwardl of the other head, and a filter mass con ed in the s ace inside of said wall and through which air passes from the central portion of the casing to the outlet. y

9. .Inan air cleaner, the combination of a cylindrical casing provided with heads at its ends, an axial clean air outlet in one of said heads, a series of inlets'in and helical blades around the outer portionaof the 7 ing a wall at one end thereo within said wall and through which the air passes to the outlet.

10. An air cleaner including a casing having a wall at one end, thereof and an outlet for cleaned air adjacent the other end thereof, said casing having a substantially empty region adjacent said wall with an entrance thereto arranged to impart a whirling action to entering air, filter means between said am ty region and said outlet, and said wall aving another inlet therein to said region and arranged to im art a whirling action to incoming air, where y the maximum whirl is maintained nearer said wall than said filter means.

11. An air cleaner including a casing havand an outlet for cleaned air adjacent the op site end thereof, said casin having a su stantiallly; empt region therem adjacent said wall wit an in ct thereto arranged to im art a whirling action to entering air, sai casing having an outlet from said empty region for for removing finer foreign particles from the air, said wall having inlet means to said region arranged to impart a whirling action to incoming air in the same direction as does the other said inlet, whereby the maximum -whirl is maintained nearer said wall than said filter means and a baflle between said region and said lter means for preventing heavier. foreign particles contacting the latter.

12. An air cleaner includin a casing having a plurality of inlets in iflerent planes arranged to 1m art 'a whirling action to enterin air, an said casing havin anoutlet int e same plane as certain of said inlets for the dischar of foreign particles separated from the'alr by said whirling action, and said casing having an outlet for cleaned air.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 24th day of February, 1930. .JAMESRQUAMr other head for admitting air and imparting a whirling motion to the entering air, a longitudinally extending air inlet connected to the periphery of the casing for directing a and terminating longitudinally inwardl of T the inlet-head, and a filter-mass con ed 

